


Something Missing

by BunnyMask



Series: Mystic Haven: The Magic Tower [12]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Aqua is a witch, Gen, I'll add more tags as I update, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Aqua/Terra (Kingdom Hearts), Vanitas is a batfolk, Ventus is a birdfolk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:48:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28074201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyMask/pseuds/BunnyMask
Summary: 1. Aqua, Ven, and Vanitas search for lost things.2. An Unwelcome Visitor shows up at the Tower.3. Important conversations and a bit of self-reflection.
Relationships: Aqua & Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts), Aqua & Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: Mystic Haven: The Magic Tower [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1522583
Comments: 14
Kudos: 29





	1. Pixies

Aqua had the Fae Flu.

She hadn’t had it in years, but this year was different. When she’d gotten back from her trip to the lookout, she’d found Vanitas had a particularly bad case of the Fae Flu. Aqua felt so bad for him that she’d spent lots of time caring for him. He got better pretty quickly, but now she was bedridden. She could hardly breathe, coughing hurt, and her skin was turning blue.

“You look awful,” Vanitas sat a cup of tea on her nightstand.

“Gee, thanks.”

“Your welcome.” Vanitas sat at the edge of her bed. “The soup is almost done. You’re lucky you get soup from people who can actually cook. My soup was terrible.”

“It was probably good.”

Vanitas rolled his eyes. “Sorry, you got sick because of me, Aqua.” And before she could argue he put his hand up. “Save your breath, get better soon.”

He jumped off the bed. “Later.” He walked out.

She slept a lot while she was sick. While she slept, she dreamt about the last time she’d been sick with the Fae Flu. It was right before Maleficent had taken her forest for her. It’d been just as bad then. 

By the time her current flu passed, it was starting to snow. 

Aqua looked out of her room window. The snow wasn’t covering anything yet, just falling from the sky. The kids were sure to be excited about it. Had Ven and Vanitas ever played in the snow before?

There were still only a few houses scattered downhill from the tower. It’d been like that since she arrived. There hadn’t even been much change in the residency. Outside of a couple of families who’d moved out and were replaced, everything stayed the same.

“Good morning,” Terra hugged her from behind. “How are you feeling?”

“A lot better,” she laid her head on his shoulder.

Of course, stability wasn’t a bad thing. It was a gift. It allowed damaged people to grow and blossom. It was good...

“I’m going to start on breakfast,” Terra pulled away.

“Okay.”

Aqua stood up. She needed to get started on chores. Vanitas had probably been doing them all by himself while she’d been sick and that was following the month she’d been gone. She took a shower. As she was getting dressed she scanned her dresser for her necklace. It wasn’t there. She must have put it somewhere else. She checked her jewelry box. It wasn’t there either. Maybe she’d put it in her rock collection. It wasn’t there either.

Aqua scrambled through her drawers. It should be right there! Where was it?

"Aqua?"

She jumped at Terra's voice.

"Terra," she turned to look at him, closing the drawer behind her. "Hi!"

"Is something wrong?"

"Ah," she crossed her arms. "I wouldn't say something is wrong…" She just couldn't find the necklace he'd made her for their engagement. So, everything was absolutely fine. "I can't find something."

"You too, huh?"

"Me too?"

"Yen Sid's calling a meeting downstairs. He says things are going missing all around the tower."

"Really?"

"Yea."

Downstairs everyone sat at the dinner table. They were all reporting their lost items to Yen Sid. Ven was missing his favorite pen, his notebook, and his sea glass bracelet. Sora was missing his rock collection and his favorite blanket. Roxas and Xion were missing several toys. Naminé couldn't locate her sketchbook. And Vanitas--- Well, actually, he was fine. He was just leaning against the wall watching. His ears were twitching slightly.

"Did you find something?" Aqua walked up to him.

"Not really."

"Ah."

"What are you missing?" Vanitas crossed his arms.

"My necklace."

"Is it important to you?"

"Yes."

"That's the pattern."

"I see. Is something of yours missing too?"

"No. I don't have stuff like that."

"Like what?"

"That I'm attached to,” Vanitas shrugged.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Huh."

So, something was causing everyone's important items to go missing… Since it wasn't just her, maybe she should use some magic to locate the missing objects. Aqua announced that she would be back.

She went to her room. She closed her eyes and focused. Her magic master crystal emerged from her chest. It hovered in front of her. She touched one of the sharp points, they radiated from the center of the crystal-like shards of ice. Spheres of water orbited around her. 

Alright. She focused on her necklace. Images appeared in the orbs. Her necklace wasn't in the Tower. It was in the woods, in a… cave?

"What's that?" Vanitas plopped down on her bed.

"This," she gestured, "is my magic crystal."

"Like one of those communication crystals?"

"No." She thought for a moment, "They're related, but magic crystals are a Magic Master's tool?"

"Are you telling me or asking me?"

"Sorry, I never really had to explain it before."

"Not even to Terra."

"No," Aqua shook her head, "Our master did that."

A creature came into view in the bubbles. It dropped Naminé's sketchbook on top of the necklace. Aqua brought the bubbles together to get a better view. The cave was filled with their missing items and the creature was a pixie. It couldn't be too far from where they were.

"Alright," Aqua nodded. "I'm going."

Vanitas stood up. "Me too."

"Vanitas, I'm going to track down and capture a pixie."

"Aqua, that's literally what Ventus and I were trained to do."

Well, he had her there.

Aqua left the tower with Ventus and Vanitas. Ventus had brought a bag of books. Vanitas had brought a rope. Her crystal pointed the way. They left through the back gate.

"So a pixie..." Ven flipped through a book, "they tend to live in groups, there's likely more than one."

Vanitas looked over his shoulder, "And why are they stealing stuff?"

"Um…" Ven flipped through pages.

"They're probably feeding on the feelings," Aqua let her crystal fly in front of them, leading them towards the necklace. "When someone cares about an item their feelings seep into it. It's the magic of emotions. It's what brought Xion to life and pixies can live off of it, instead of food during hard times."

But it was strange they were here. Pixies didn't live in the forest… She hadn’t seen pixies since her forest. Maybe they’d gotten lost during the migration.

"There's one," Ven stopped.

"Where?"

"Right there," Ven pointed.

Aqua squinted. She didn't see anything. She looked at Ven. His eyes had changed. They were no longer green and instead were blue.

"What's the plan?" Vanitas looked at Aqua.

"We need to trap it in a circle."

"A magic circle?"

"No." Aqua drew a circle in the dirt with the toe of her boot. "That should do."

"What?" Vanitas crouched down. "A circle in the dirt?"

"It doesn't have to be dirt." Ven had his face in the book. "It can be made of anything as long as it's intended to catch a pixie, right?"

"Right." Aqua smiled, "it works on all types of fairies."

"So…" Vanitas tilted his head, "we put it in this circle?"

"We can't," Aqua dug in her pocket, "it has to walk in itself."

"And how are we going to get it to do that?"

"Bait," Aqua held up a bluestone. She placed it in the circle.

Vanitas tilted his head, “That’s important to you?”

“Of course,” Aqua smiled, “it’s the first thing you ever gave me.”

Vanitas looked away.

They hid at the edge of the woods and waited. It wasn't long before a pixie walked out of the forest and into the circle. It picked up the stone. It turned to walk back to the forest but crashed into the edge of the circle. It started yelling profanities in the language of the fae. Aqua walked up to the circle. Ven and Vanitas followed behind her. Aqua hadn’t spoken the language of the fae in a long time, but she managed to hold a conversation with the pixie.

The pixie and its herd had been displaced during the Fairy Migration. They were gathering objects from the tower so they could signal for help. Aqua offered her assistance. The pixie seemed surprised but accepted. Aqua freed it from the circle. It led them to the cave where the rest of the pixies were gathered.

Aqua brought out her magic crystal. She told the pixies they could use it to send a signal.

“So what’s happening?” Vanitas stood next to her.

“They’re calling for help. We can collect our things once they’re done.”

“Alright.”

“Aqua,” Ven walked up to her. “I didn’t know you could speak the language of the fae.”

“Oh, well, I grew up in the Fairy Forest.”

“Really? Did you know that, Vanitas?”

“Yea.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You never asked.”

Ven glared at him.

When the pixies were finished, Aqua, Vanitas, and Ven retrieved their borrowed items.

“I hope help comes soon,” Aqua waved at the pixies before leaving.


	2. Fairies

The snow piling up around the tower was beginning to form piles of slush. Vanitas looked at the snow. He remembered seeing kids playing with snow outside of the castle last winter. Roxas was talking to Naminé about building a snowman when there was more snow. He was sitting next to one of the slush piles. Naminé was next to Vanitas, drawing a forest. Maybe it was the one they had visited. How would she paint a white forest though?

Aqua came outside and started sweeping the snow out of the walkway. She asked if he was excited about the snow.

“To be decided,” Vanitas scooped the slosh into his hands and formed a ball. He reached over and dropped it on Roxas's head.

"Hey!" Roxas shoved him.

Vanitas cackled. "What?"

Roxas scooped up some and tossed it a Vanitas. He moved and hit Naminé, who was sitting on the steps. She squeaked and dropped her sketchbook.

"Naminé!" Roxas dashed over.

"Nice shot," Vanitas grinned.

"Shut up!" Roxas retrieved her notebook.

Aqua smiled. "Simmer down, you two. You'll get a cold playing in that without proper clothes."

A tall green woman with what looked like horns coming from her head appeared beside Aqua, "So this is where you've been?" 

Aqua swung her broom at her, but the woman flashed out and appeared on the opposite side of Aqua.

"Simmer down, dear, it's a bit too early for that, don't you think?"

Aqua placed the broomstick under the woman’s chin. Vanitas had never seen Aqua’s eyes so cold. "Why are you here? What do you want from me?"

"Ah, so self-important." The woman took a step back, "Did you really think I came all this way for you?"

Aqua lowered the broom. "You didn't come for me?"

"Of course not. What would I need from a half-rate master?"

Aqua’s eyes went wide. Her grip on her broom loosened. Who did this woman think she was and why did her words matter to Aqua?

"Aqua's a great master!" Vanitas got between the two.

The woman’s eyes grazed him then returned to Aqua. "And what's that supposed to be?"

"His name is Vanitas, he's under my care." Aqua put a hand in his hair, "This is Maleficent."

Vanitas's ears pricked up. He looked at Aqua. Maleficent? The one from her stories? What was she doing here? 

Aqua stroked his hair, "Don't worry, Vanitas."

Maleficent rolled her eyes. Her gaze fell behind Aqua landing on Roxas and Naminé. Roxas was standing in front of Naminé. He was glaring and baring his fangs.

"Really, Aqua," Maleficent laughed. "Have you spent all of these years out in the middle of nowhere playing mommy to these brats?"

Aqua took a step to the side, obscuring Roxas and Naminé from her sight. She tried to move Vanitas behind her too, but he refused to move.

"So it's true," Maleficent shook her head. She flashed out and appeared next to Aqua. She took Aqua's face in her hand, "It's pitiful, really, seeing how you deteriorated."

"Maleficent. What is your business here?" Aqua glared at her.

Maleficent pressed her nails into Aqua's face. "Watch your tone with me, child."

Aqua's gaze did not soften.

Maleficent released her, "I'm here for the Pixies."

"The Pixies?"

"They are in this forest, are they not?"

"Ah. Yes." 

The pixies had used their stuff to call Maleficent? Vanitas glared in the direction of the forest. They couldn’t have called literally anyone else?

Maleficent walked towards the forest. Aqua followed. 

"Roxas," Vanitas looked at him, "Tell Terra that  _ Maleficent  _ is here."

Vanitas ran up to Aqua.

"Vanitas, stay here."

"As if," Vanitas grabbed her arm, “She killed your mom."

"Is that what you told him?"

"You could have saved her,” Vanitas narrowed his eyes.

“And Aqua could have saved Eraqus,” Maleficent looked at her, “but she saved a common human instead.”

Aqua stiffened. She looked at Vanitas then back at Maleficent. “How did you know about Eraqus?”

“I saw it, dear,” Maleficent walked through the gate, letting it close behind her.

Aqua pushed the gate open. “You saw the attack on Mystic Haven?”

“Clear as your betrayal to your title.”

“Why didn’t you do something?!”

“Why should I have? They had two perfectly capable Magic Masters at their disposal. How was it my responsibility to intervene?"

Vanitas walked closer to her. “And what responsibility do you have to the pixies?”

“They’re part of the Fae and I am their gracious Queen.”

Vanitas scoffed.

“You’d do well to teach that child of yours some manners.”

Vanitas narrowed his eyes. Aqua tightened her grip on him. “Let’s just find the pixies.”

“Then make yourself useful and lead me to them. Isn’t that your specialty or did you forget how to cast?”

“She’s the one who needs to learn manners.”

Maleficent turned to look at them. “You have something to say, child?”

“Stop talking to Aqua like she works for you! She doesn’t owe you anything!”

“Vanitas---”

“Why are you letting her talk to you like that? She stole your forest! She let your mother die!”

“Oh, Aqua, the stories you’ve fed this child.” Maleficent moved closer. "That woman never belonged in  _ my forest _ anyway."

" _ Your _ forest?" Aqua moved in front of Vanitas. "And what made the forest your responsibility?" Aqua released Vanitas and marched closer to her.

“Yes, why would a fairy care about the destruction of our realm? It’s a mystery I suppose.” Maleficent paced in a circle, "Your father used to see the forest as a sacred place for the protection of the Fae."

"My father? What does he have to do with this?"

"Keep up, dear." Maleficent rolled her eyes.

"Then speak clearly."

"Your father was the previous protector of the forest and guardian of the Fae, but your mother led him astray. Then he died. It was my responsibility to set things right." Maleficent was quiet for a moment then she smiled. "What else could I do? Your father was my only child."

Aqua let out a laugh. “You are so full of it.”

"Come now, dear," Maleficent appeared next to Aqua. "You didn't think your magic proficiency came from your mother, did you?

"You’ve felt it too haven’t you? The pulse of magic, the potential to reconstruct the world at your fingertips. The control you have over magic energy isn’t something you’ve seen in other witches is it?"

"That's not..." Aqua crossed her arms. She was quiet, too quiet. “I’m not a fairy. That’s ridiculous.”

“Oh, is it?,” she appeared behind Aqua, grabbing Vanitas by his shirt. She flashed out appearing several feet in front of Aqua, Vanitas in hand, before Aqua could even turn around.

“Vanitas!” Aqua ran forward, but before she could make it, she hit a wall that wasn’t there. Vanitas looked at the ground, there was a circle in the dirt. Aqua looked down at the circle. She reached her hand out. It stopped at the edge of the circle. She pressed forward, but she could not get any further.

Aqua didn’t say anything. She just stared at her hand.

So she really was a fairy? Was she really related to Maleficent?

“Well, she seems preoccupied doesn’t she, Vanitas?”

"Let go!" Vanitas snatched away from Maleficent. Before he could get anywhere, she tripped him with her staff. She placed the staff on top of Vanitas's head.

"Tell me, Aqua. Have those brats ever gotten the Fae Flu?"

Aqua looked at Vanitas then Maleficent. She glared, “Leave him alone.”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

Vanitas lifted his head but got pushed back down.

Vanitas growled and then something in his brain formed a connection. This was just like that time… He could almost feel his Master's boot on the back of his head. Vanitas clenched his teeth.

This wasn't the same. This wasn't the same. This wasn't the same.

So why couldn't he move?

“Maleficent---”

“I asked you a question, Aqua.”

"Yes, they get the flu every fairy migration. They got it this year too."

"How many of them turned blue?"

"What?"

"Your mother always told you that the magical residue from the fairy migration turned you blue, right?"

"It did."

"How many of your kids have turned blue too? What about that little witch of yours?"

Aqua was quiet.

“Turning blue isn’t a normal witch thing either is it?” Maleficent sounded so pleased with herself. “If your dear mother lied about something so trivial, I wonder what else she kept from you. She was the one keeping us apart wasn't she?”

“My mother didn’t… she must have had a reason…” 

"Of course she did," Maleficent appeared at the edge of the circle, leaving Vanitas behind, "Fear of your capabilities, fear of the raging storm in your eyes. I would never have held you back like she did."

"Don't talk about my mother like you have any clue," Aqua glared at Maleficent. "Don't pretend to care about me now."

“Oh, Aqua, dear, you are my only living relative,” She reached inside and tilted Aqua’s head up. “Even if you are a pathetic excuse for a fairy princess, I can’t help but love you.”

Aqua didn’t respond.

"Ah, so much wasted potential. You could have been brilliant, but all you do is waste time and talent. Such a sad existence."

She dropped Aqua’s face, “I feel sorry for you really.” 

She took one last look at Vanitas and then disappeared into the woods.

"That's not true," Vanitas ran over to her. He broke the circle in the dirt with his foot. He grabbed her hand. 

“What isn’t?” Her voice was so low, so sad.

"Almost everything she said! She doesn’t know anything about you!."

"Yea." She didn’t sound at all convinced. She took Vanitas's face, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Good." She stood up. "Let's go back." She turned away from him.

"Aqua, are you okay?"

"To be decided."

"Aqua!" Terra came running up.

What took him so long? Wait… It hadn't been long at all, had it? Did all that really only happen in a few minutes?

Terra spoke to her softly. Aqua told him she just wanted to rest. Terra picked her up and carried Aqua back to the tower. Vanitas followed behind them.

Once they returned to the safety of the tower, Vanitas found that he also just wanted to rest.


	3. Monsters

Now that he had been thinking of it, his Master would not leave his brain. The weight of his boot on his head.

_ “If you can’t do this much, then you’re worthless to me.” _

Worthless.

What had he even gotten in trouble for that time?

He couldn’t remember. The only thing that was coming back to him was the weight, of his boots, of his words, of the pain.

“Vanitas,” Ventus poked his head in, “what happened today?”

“Maleficent showed up.”

“I know that part!” Ven walked in, “I mean what else happened? You and Aqua have been in your rooms since you got home.”

“Oh. I don’t know.”

“That’s a first.”

Vanitas chucked a pillow at him. Ventus caught it. He walked over to the bed and sat next to him. “You had a rough day, huh?”

“Yea.”

“Okay,” Ventus laid next to him. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

Vanitas took a breath. "She --- Maleficent --- she did something and it was like I was with our Master again.”

“Oh.” He was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Our Master," Ven looked up at the ceiling, “He thought you were like him.”

“Yea, like him, but worse.” A monster, he sometimes called him.

“He was always wrong about you, you know.”

“He was?”

“Yea. You're nothing like him and you're definitely not a monster.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“I told you I trust you, so if you say he was wrong then he was.”

Ven smiled. “Well, he really was, so cheer up, okay?”

“Yea.” Vanitas took a breath, “thanks, Ventus.”

Ventus stayed with him until he really felt better. Then they went downstairs and ate.

Aqua hadn’t left her room in days. She just watched from her bed as the snow piled up outside her window. She had a lot to think about. 

Maleficent really was her grandmother. She felt it in her bones that it was the truth. The only reason Maleficent had saved her and helped her the times she had was because they shared the same blood. 

Aqua bit her lip, so she wouldn’t cry. She wanted to scrub away every part of her that had anything to do with that woman. Then would there be anything left? Aqua buried her face in her hands.

Terra wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on him.

"I don't want to be related to her, Terra." Maleficent was terrible, a monster even. Aqua didn't want to be connected to her.

"I know."

They'd talked about this before, a long time ago. Aqua had considered the idea that Maleficent was tied to her, but she'd dismissed it.

"I felt the same way about my father," Terra held her tighter.

"When you could remember him?"

"And after that. How could I ever be suited to be in a relationship, to love someone, when his blood courses through my veins? I thought about it a lot."

"And what did you conclude?"

"I'm not like him and I don't think I ever could be. You're not like her either Aqua."

Aqua was quiet.

"Are you going to come down today? The kids are starting to worry."

"Maybe later."

"Okay."

Terra left the room.

Aqua took a breath. He was probably right, but his word hadn't quite been sinking in recently. She looked at the town. Instead, Maleficent's criticism was on rerun in her brain.

There were so many people who needed help. Odina and her rangers had dedicated their whole life to it. Everyone Aqua had helped had been by chance, even the pixies had just stumbled into her path. Maybe Maleficent was right about her. Maybe she was just wasting time.

“Terra says you don’t feel well,” Vanitas appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh, yea…"

"You're not still sick, right?”

"Right." Aqua shook her head, "I've just been thinking a lot."

"About?"

“I just think, maybe I could be doing more…”

“More than what?”

“More than what I’m doing. I’m one of the only Magic Masters around, shouldn't I be helping people?”

“Aren’t you helping people?” Vanitas crossed his arms, “Roxas and Naminé, Ventus and I, Terra…”

“That’s not…” 

“Not enough?” Vanitas scoffed.

“No, I mean, that’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” Vanitas sat on the bed, “What’s really bothering you?”

Ha. She couldn't fool him, could she?

“I think I always kind of knew.”

“About Maleficent?”

“And being a fairy,” she looked down at her hands, “I never really told you about much of my life before Terra, before my mother died. Maleficent, she just kind of showed up sometimes and she always showed me all this amazing magic.” 

Aqua closed her eyes. She remembered the way it felt when she saw Maleficent’s magic for the first time. She was awestruck. She wanted nothing more than to do exactly what she did.

“She’s the one who taught me the language of the Fae. And so I showed my mom, but she got so upset… I’d never seen her like that before, she told me she felt like she’d failed to protect me. I didn’t really understand. 

“She never really told me everything, just that Maleficent had done bad things to her and my father. So, I stopped talking to Maleficent after that, but I always felt this tug and I keep making my way back to her. What if I’m like her one day?”

“Like Maleficent?! Aqua, you're nothing like her!”

“That’s not true.” They had more in common than blood. There was a selfishness, a superiority, a hubris in her. All she needed was to become cold and cruel. Terra told her that it would never happen, but... “I see myself in her. I’m so scared.”

“Me too,” Vanitas kicked his legs, “of what I’ll become, but you keep telling me that it's possible to grow and change and be better, right?”

“Yea.”

“So you’ll be fine, Aqua. You’re the same as before.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“Because it is. Come down and eat, okay?” Vanitas looked away. "Everyone is worried."

Aqua nodded, “I’ll be down in a little bit.”

“You better be,” he stuck out his tongue. He walked out the door.

Aqua smiled. He was going to grow up to be an amazing person. She couldn’t wait to see it. 

She got out of bed. Terra and Vanitas were right. 

In the end, she couldn't change the past or who she was related to. All she could do was do her best to make up for her mistakes and try hard to be a good person.


End file.
